I am curious if this is true. I agree with an earlier post that questions how a Dos would know I was no longer on thier system (perhaps a letter of surrender?).
That being said however, ISPs are businesses and very competitive. If removing an individual user will put the system back online, the person will most likely get kicked. How many times have you booted a user off a box to get production back up?
However, this is a very dangerous stand. Forget about individual rights, as an ISP you just agreed to be hostage to the next Dos. Except this time they want their message posted, or your largest corporate customer shut down. Now what?
Seems like a bad choice all around. Block them out, and move on. Otherwise you end up here with everyone questioning you motives.
I wonder how long it will take before someone sues over the source being made available. Once that happens, it's watch your back time as every company with any product, will open a court case. They do not need to win, they just have to spend a few dollars that most developers do not have.
Many people were begining to wonder how the "old" companies would keep up with the speed of the internet. It looks like they have decide to cripple the runners.
Well put, as pointed out in the referenced article "US authorities cannot issue warrants so broad as to unnecessarily threaten the anonymity of third parties" However, this does not preclude primary parties, those whose activities would be considered criminal. (If we want to worry about something maybe it should be how broad "considered criminal" is interpreted)
As for true anonymity being possible, I have not seen a case sufficiently searched where a party was protected in complete. While many of us may be able to go through sites like freedom.com, I feel the majority of web users would not. This gives them the impression of protection they really do not have.
For example, pick an anonymous coward and given a favorable judge and time, we would find them 99% of the time. Would a smart one slip through? Absolutely, but I do not believe we should worry about protecting them.
Finally, I agree with 100% with regards to position and logic. I come to/. for that very reason. Even though many of the posts we see even here are -1, facts and logic, really do make it worth the time.
While the Supreme Court has ruled on protecting my right to speech, it does not protect my right to remain anonymous. If I commit (or it is even alleged I did commit) a crime my name will appear in the paper, and if sufficiently horrific, I may even be identified on the national news. Further, I need to pay to have my name "unlisted" in the phone book, or have myself removed from mailing lists. I must request my bank not share my financial records and for a while some states were selling my driver's license with picture, even if I did not want them to.
Anonymity is not a protected right, it is not even a privilege. When there was less at stake, you could provide some cover of perceived anonymity, but the web has been spun too large. When you decide to step onto the soap box, it is time to grow up and take responsibility. The internet provides a means for people to slander, lie, steal, and manipulate markets under a false guise of free speech. Assuming true anonymity were possible, the person harmed has no recourse. It is almost impossible to "un-prove" something. .
If you feel "in fear", the means are available to set up a secret discussion, (PGP and Email lists, private discussion groups, etc.), or something as simple as withholding your email address to keep the discussion public.
Forcing some type of disclosure ensures you speak from some justifiable position, if none other than "I believe...". And your ability to tell people what you believe is the right we must protect.
This is not the last time, we will see this happen. I am trying to be optimistic, but reality is setting in.
There was a time when patents, copyrights, and trademarks protected originators. Today, I see more companies take the actuarial approach of "can we cost justify the violation?". The larger you are the more certain the answer is yes.
This is by no means a Microsoft only issue. We have seen cases lately of corporations taking web sites, ISPs and individuals to court on extremely questionable cases. Why? Because they cannot afford the cost of litigation, regardless of being right.
At one point reform was suppose to provide the individual protection by forcing costs to the loser. This has failed because winning cannot be accomplished without the revenue now tied up in litegation.
I hope they win, but I am almost certain they cannot afford to. The deck is certainly stacked against them.
I usually put the machine name and the legal disclaimer.
I was told several years ago by the lawyers we needed to put the disclaimer in because an under informed judge had ruled you could not prosecute someone if you did not tell them they are not allowed in your system.
While this may seem as silly as requiring me to post signs in my yard "It is illegal to steal from this location" apparently it is because I am merely a layman.
I wonder if this was ever really a case or if an urban legend made its way into legal circles.
You may want to go a little simpler than game programming, especially in windows.
Perhaps, a diary program or CD inventory program? This is something that could be accomplished in a couple of nights (with dad's help). Once they had a success you could better judge the next move.
If you have Office 97 or later, you can do most of the VB programming tasks through VBA. It simplifies some of the more mundane(?) tasks and may be easier to handle. (In addition you do not have to buy VB.)
Of course, a completely unrelated option may just be HTML/XML. They could build some web pages and post them to a free site for the world to see. It may not be the same a programming but it may hold their interest. If they really dug in you could move to JAVA.
My daughter, thinks I play games all day. Don't be disappointed if at 11-13 they do not see the thrill in what we do.
Thery are saving themselves some headache. Forget the normal slashdot participant, these are being sold to the general population. If they pre-install the OS, they can ensure all the drivers and components are working.
No OS, puts them at the mercy of the installer. Whether that be an experienced sysadmin or Uncle Walt, who "always wanted to try it".
Of course the cynic in me adds: Isn't part of the MS agreement with such vendors that they had to pay for the license regardless of whether they ship you the box with it installed?
These are the things we need to look for. Instead of continuing to expand Linux or BeOS or xOS, we need to work toward the universal OS.
Some of the posts, are too reactive to anything other than Linux. Instead we need to look at each new OS as an opportunity to determine what features are better in some than others.
Is it a better idea to split off X and create an independent display layer? Hard to argue with that. Is this a better GUI than GNOME or KDE? Time will tell, but anything of benefit should be looked at against the current mainstream and if it flies, integrate it.
Linux does not suffer from much bloat because of its age, we really need to ensure we do not create another does everything OS that needs a 1 ghz processor to run. That should mean leveraging the best in practices and functions from all the other OS (yes including MS)
I have worked with several companies that make use of foreign labor. The reality is that unless you have a very specialized skill (i.e. quantum physics, chip design, etc.), you are here because you are less expensive than US labor. In order to be less expensive you are most likely from a country where the standard of living expenses are less (for example India).
While people would like to believe they are brought here because of their skill, that is very rare. More than likely you will work through a consulting firm with US supervisors making the absolute minimum. Now, you will hear that the US has laws against this, but it is not true. The companies merely have to hire enough foreign help to ensure they are all paid equally poor for the same job.
While I am painting with quite a wide brush, it is really sad for everyone. Chances are you will not find a consulting firm that is looking for much but cheap labor. You will also find most companies do not want H1B holders because they become responsible for the employee, even if the employee is, shall we say, lacking.
To step nearly off topic for a moment... I have been told about a recent article in one of the leading magazines (Time, Newsweek, US News ?) has US programmers as a breed headed for extinction. That we cannot compete in the global marketplace now that connectivity is so cheap. If you do not believe it, consider I recently worked with a group from India, sent to the US to pick up work and take it back. Not recent graduates, but people with advanced degrees and an incredible work ethic, all for about $30/day. The vast majority of developers are not innovation specialists, they are churning code and the least expensive will win in the commodity market.
About two(?) years ago Wired Magazine did a feature on the big three at the time. I have since lost the article but I believe it was Rocketbook, Softbook and Everybook (w/Color). (Least to most expensive, with Everybook looking more like a laptop than an ebook reader)
While I can swap books with my computer, it does not take long to use the 4 megs if you have books with graphics. Rumor has it several may be looking at expanding beyond 16 megs. The difficulty is going to be the price.
If you go to the rocketbook site you can download the reader, which gives you a Rocketbook, on PC GUI. It will show you what you are into visually. While rocketbooks do not support color, they do have a very nice reading level. So much so, I do not know that color would help (other than for graphics). They do feel like a paperback and "turning" pages is slick compared to scrolling.
All this being said, you still have a limited supply of materials. You will not be getting rid of most or your manuals or books in the near future, but it is getting better. Barnes and Nobles has an ebook center as do several others. You can also go to Rocketbook's free pages and download some interesting material.
I also wonder at what point PALM or Handspring will see this as just an "add on". Not as nice to read from as a Rocketbook, but do I really need a Palm and this? (Yes, but I would like the answer to be no. Of course, I would like my laptop to weigh eight ounces and boot to one of three operating systems as needed)
Suggestion to the Ebook vendors...Add more memory and some palm functionality. If I am going to carry one, I prefer the Ebook.
Suggestions to PIM Makers... Add more memory and look at Ebook's size, shape, and feel. We grow tired of writing in a two inch square and reading in a size 10 font, 3 inches wide.
Suggestion to reader... At least try the rocketbook and Glassbook readers. Its not the same as having a Rocket unit, but it does a fair comparison of the software.
I am a little disappointed in the number of people who suggest misleading your employer.
A company may choose to implement the changes for personal advantage. IF they are not going to "repackage" then GPL seems to allow them this option. (BTW - I consider this a case where reintegration of the GPL is not in a company's best interest and falls under the "no harm no foul clause")
As many people have said, next you need to see what you agreed to when you were hired. If you are not a consultant, this can be ugly. You will need to drag out your employee handbook and ANYTHING you signed when you were brought on. In there somewhere is a clause that will indicate whether the company owns acts and ideas created during your employment.
Some of the people responding are incorrect in assuming the company does not own ideas created outside work. MANY companies have such clauses, and for good reason.
Simple Example: You are working for database company XYZdb. Your job is implement field level locking. After two weeks of meetings, discussions, and pulling your hair out, you decide (to the joy of your coworkers) to go home and shower. Suddenly, like a toaster tossed in with you, the solution is obvious, concise, and easy to implement.
You will not be able to claim the idea was developed on your time and now belongs to you. I believe lawyers call this fruit of the poisoned vine.
When I take that next job, or contract, I am planning on having a very explicit document, we both sign, to define what I can and cannot give back to the Open community.
It is still going to be very iffy. Lets face it, if I work on open source DBx, it is probably because I love the work. It is also likely I am working for a company doing similar work. We all need to be careful not to step too close to the line.
Our employers, with real money and shareholder issues on the line, are certain to take a conservative approach to your work. Violation of trade secret information contracts are very serious. Being "released" for such violations is a scarlet letter to your next employer and not a "right to work" issue.
Slashdot Mirror
I am curious if this is true. I agree with an earlier post that questions how a Dos would know I was no longer on thier system (perhaps a letter of surrender?).
That being said however, ISPs are businesses and very competitive. If removing an individual user will put the system back online, the person will most likely get kicked. How many times have you booted a user off a box to get production back up?
However, this is a very dangerous stand. Forget about individual rights, as an ISP you just agreed to be hostage to the next Dos. Except this time they want their message posted, or your largest corporate customer shut down. Now what?
Seems like a bad choice all around. Block them out, and move on. Otherwise you end up here with everyone questioning you motives.
I wonder how long it will take before someone sues over the source being made available. Once that happens, it's watch your back time as every company with any product, will open a court case. They do not need to win, they just have to spend a few dollars that most developers do not have.
Many people were begining to wonder how the "old" companies would keep up with the speed of the internet. It looks like they have decide to cripple the runners.
Well put, as pointed out in the referenced article "US authorities cannot issue warrants so broad as to unnecessarily threaten the anonymity of third parties" However, this does not preclude primary parties, those whose activities would be considered criminal. (If we want to worry about something maybe it should be how broad "considered criminal" is interpreted)
/. for that very reason. Even though many of the posts we see even here are -1, facts and logic, really do make it worth the time.
As for true anonymity being possible, I have not seen a case sufficiently searched where a party was protected in complete. While many of us may be able to go through sites like freedom.com, I feel the majority of web users would not. This gives them the impression of protection they really do not have.
For example, pick an anonymous coward and given a favorable judge and time, we would find them 99% of the time. Would a smart one slip through? Absolutely, but I do not believe we should worry about protecting them.
Finally, I agree with 100% with regards to position and logic. I come to
While the Supreme Court has ruled on protecting my right to speech, it does not protect my right to remain anonymous. If I commit (or it is even alleged I did commit) a crime my name will appear in the paper, and if sufficiently horrific, I may even be identified on the national news. Further, I need to pay to have my name "unlisted" in the phone book, or have myself removed from mailing lists. I must request my bank not share my financial records and for a while some states were selling my driver's license with picture, even if I did not want them to.
Anonymity is not a protected right, it is not even a privilege. When there was less at stake, you could provide some cover of perceived anonymity, but the web has been spun too large. When you decide to step onto the soap box, it is time to grow up and take responsibility. The internet provides a means for people to slander, lie, steal, and manipulate markets under a false guise of free speech. Assuming true anonymity were possible, the person harmed has no recourse. It is almost impossible to "un-prove" something. .
If you feel "in fear", the means are available to set up a secret discussion, (PGP and Email lists, private discussion groups, etc.), or something as simple as withholding your email address to keep the discussion public.
Forcing some type of disclosure ensures you speak from some justifiable position, if none other than "I believe...". And your ability to tell people what you believe is the right we must protect.
This is not the last time, we will see this happen. I am trying to be optimistic, but reality is setting in.
There was a time when patents, copyrights, and trademarks protected originators. Today, I see more companies take the actuarial approach of "can we cost justify the violation?". The larger you are the more certain the answer is yes.
This is by no means a Microsoft only issue. We have seen cases lately of corporations taking web sites, ISPs and individuals to court on extremely questionable cases. Why? Because they cannot afford the cost of litigation, regardless of being right.
At one point reform was suppose to provide the individual protection by forcing costs to the loser. This has failed because winning cannot be accomplished without the revenue now tied up in litegation.
I hope they win, but I am almost certain they cannot afford to. The deck is certainly stacked against them.
I usually put the machine name and the legal disclaimer.
I was told several years ago by the lawyers we needed to put the disclaimer in because an under informed judge had ruled you could not prosecute someone if you did not tell them they are not allowed in your system.
While this may seem as silly as requiring me to post signs in my yard "It is illegal to steal from this location" apparently it is because I am merely a layman.
I wonder if this was ever really a case or if an urban legend made its way into legal circles.
Quiz time: Can anyone site the case?
You may want to go a little simpler than game programming, especially in windows.
Perhaps, a diary program or CD inventory program? This is something that could be accomplished in a couple of nights (with dad's help). Once they had a success you could better judge the next move.
If you have Office 97 or later, you can do most of the VB programming tasks through VBA. It simplifies some of the more mundane(?) tasks and may be easier to handle. (In addition you do not have to buy VB.)
Of course, a completely unrelated option may just be HTML/XML. They could build some web pages and post them to a free site for the world to see. It may not be the same a programming but it may hold their interest. If they really dug in you could move to JAVA.
My daughter, thinks I play games all day. Don't be disappointed if at 11-13 they do not see the thrill in what we do.
Thery are saving themselves some headache. Forget the normal slashdot participant, these are being sold to the general population. If they pre-install the OS, they can ensure all the drivers and components are working.
No OS, puts them at the mercy of the installer. Whether that be an experienced sysadmin or Uncle Walt, who "always wanted to try it".
Of course the cynic in me adds:
Isn't part of the MS agreement with such vendors that they had to pay for the license regardless of whether they ship you the box with it installed?
These are the things we need to look for. Instead of continuing to expand Linux or BeOS or xOS, we need to work toward the universal OS.
Some of the posts, are too reactive to anything other than Linux. Instead we need to look at each new OS as an opportunity to determine what features are better in some than others.
Is it a better idea to split off X and create an independent display layer? Hard to argue with that. Is this a better GUI than GNOME or KDE? Time will tell, but anything of benefit should be looked at against the current mainstream and if it flies, integrate it.
Linux does not suffer from much bloat because of its age, we really need to ensure we do not create another does everything OS that needs a 1 ghz processor to run. That should mean leveraging the best in practices and functions from all the other OS (yes including MS)
I have worked with several companies that make use of foreign labor. The reality is that unless you have a very specialized skill (i.e. quantum physics, chip design, etc.), you are here because you are less expensive than US labor. In order to be less expensive you are most likely from a country where the standard of living expenses are less (for example India).
While people would like to believe they are brought here because of their skill, that is very rare. More than likely you will work through a consulting firm with US supervisors making the absolute minimum. Now, you will hear that the US has laws against this, but it is not true. The companies merely have to hire enough foreign help to ensure they are all paid equally poor for the same job.
While I am painting with quite a wide brush, it is really sad for everyone. Chances are you will not find a consulting firm that is looking for much but cheap labor. You will also find most companies do not want H1B holders because they become responsible for the employee, even if the employee is, shall we say, lacking.
To step nearly off topic for a moment...
I have been told about a recent article in one of the leading magazines (Time, Newsweek, US News ?) has US programmers as a breed headed for extinction. That we cannot compete in the global marketplace now that connectivity is so cheap. If you do not believe it, consider I recently worked with a group from India, sent to the US to pick up work and take it back. Not recent graduates, but people with advanced degrees and an incredible work ethic, all for about $30/day. The vast majority of developers are not innovation specialists, they are churning code and the least expensive will win in the commodity market.
Good luck to you.
About two(?) years ago Wired Magazine did a feature on the big three at the time. I have since lost the article but I believe it was Rocketbook, Softbook and Everybook (w/Color). (Least to most expensive, with Everybook looking more like a laptop than an ebook reader)
... Add more memory and look at Ebook's size, shape, and feel. We grow tired of writing in a two inch square and reading in a size 10 font, 3 inches wide.
While I can swap books with my computer, it does not take long to use the 4 megs if you have books with graphics. Rumor has it several may be looking at expanding beyond 16 megs. The difficulty is going to be the price.
If you go to the rocketbook site you can download the reader, which gives you a Rocketbook, on PC GUI. It will show you what you are into visually. While rocketbooks do not support color, they do have a very nice reading level. So much so, I do not know that color would help (other than for graphics). They do feel like a paperback and "turning" pages is slick compared to scrolling.
All this being said, you still have a limited supply of materials. You will not be getting rid of most or your manuals or books in the near future, but it is getting better. Barnes and Nobles has an ebook center as do several others. You can also go to Rocketbook's free pages and download some interesting material.
I also wonder at what point PALM or Handspring will see this as just an "add on". Not as nice to read from as a Rocketbook, but do I really need a Palm and this? (Yes, but I would like the answer to be no. Of course, I would like my laptop to weigh eight ounces and boot to one of three operating systems as needed)
Suggestion to the Ebook vendors...Add more memory and some palm functionality. If I am going to carry one, I prefer the Ebook.
Suggestions to PIM Makers
Suggestion to reader... At least try the rocketbook and Glassbook readers. Its not the same as having a Rocket unit, but it does a fair comparison of the software.
I am a little disappointed in the number of people who suggest misleading your employer.
A company may choose to implement the changes for personal advantage. IF they are not going to "repackage" then GPL seems to allow them this option. (BTW - I consider this a case where reintegration of the GPL is not in a company's best interest and falls under the "no harm no foul clause")
As many people have said, next you need to see what you agreed to when you were hired. If you are not a consultant, this can be ugly. You will need to drag out your employee handbook and ANYTHING you signed when you were brought on. In there somewhere is a clause that will indicate whether the company owns acts and ideas created during your employment.
Some of the people responding are incorrect in assuming the company does not own ideas created outside work. MANY companies have such clauses, and for good reason.
Simple Example:
You are working for database company XYZdb. Your job is implement field level locking. After two weeks of meetings, discussions, and pulling your hair out, you decide (to the joy of your coworkers) to go home and shower. Suddenly, like a toaster tossed in with you, the solution is obvious, concise, and easy to implement.
You will not be able to claim the idea was developed on your time and now belongs to you. I believe lawyers call this fruit of the poisoned vine.
When I take that next job, or contract, I am planning on having a very explicit document, we both sign, to define what I can and cannot give back to the Open community.
It is still going to be very iffy. Lets face it, if I work on open source DBx, it is probably because I love the work. It is also likely I am working for a company doing similar work. We all need to be careful not to step too close to the line.
Our employers, with real money and shareholder issues on the line, are certain to take a conservative approach to your work. Violation of trade secret information contracts are very serious. Being "released" for such violations is a scarlet letter to your next employer and not a "right to work" issue.